feeding a food snob with little money?

[missk1989]

Tbh if the quality of meat is an issue i woukd eat vegetarian 4/5 nights a week then buy a couple of nice pieces of meat for the other nights (we don't eat meat every night for this reason!)

He wont eat vegetarian meals either. We have even swapped meals at a restaurant before when he ordered a pasta dish and didnt realise it had no meat!

 

[maryp0ppins]

tbh good quality meat is the one thing I would splurge on if we had to stick to a budget for our food.
Do you have a butcher locally? our butcher is FAR cheaper than the supermarket and the meat tastes much better.
I dont think my oh would tell me what I could and could not have in the food shopping, if I want it I buy it and vice versa (this is obv only okay if it is affordable, if you have a strict budget then this shouldn't be happening!)

 

[Jaysmummy]

My OH is the same and when we first lived together it used to get on my nerves, however now I'm quite similar and find some cheaper foods very bland and not nice. I can totally see what he means.

I don't agree with the food is food strategy as I would rather starve than eat something I don't like as I physically feel sick trying to eat

I do like to save as much money as possible so whereas if OH gets the shopping, he gets whatever he wants regardless of price, I try to stick to offers such as BOGOF or 2 for £3. I also check the "whoopsie" aisle and freeze it.

 

[wishuwerehere]

^^ that's a good point - can you go shopping late in the day (like 9.30pm) and buy reduced meat and freeze it? You can get all sorts for crazy cheap that way.

 

[Bex84]

Your oh is lucky, i consult him what he fancies on weekly shop and ive already started cooking before he gets home so fits with lo's bedtime. We do buy better meat just due to i dont trust cheap meat and dont want my lo having it and im vegeterian so we have vegeterian as well. Of course people can have a say in what they eat but i dont have the time or money to be fussing about brands and fussing about what a put in stuff if it tastes good. For example pasta sauce i buy canned chopped tomatoes (value) add onion, garlic pepper, red and green pepper, cheese and basil and tastes better than jar and so much cheaper as the garlic pepper and basil herbs last a while. My dh prefers the quorn mince as better quality than meat, even my dad whos a big meat eater prefers it and he is really fussy. I think you need to sit him down, make a list of meals and a weekly budget. Maybe it was growing up in a home which struggled money wise and worrying about affording food which has led me to be less able to put up with fussyness plus i want lo to be open to trying all food so we set an example. My dh is happy and appreciates what i cook so maybe im just lucky

 

[amytrisha]

I'd give him your budget and tell him to feed yous for a week.. See what he comes up with. X

 

[bumpy_j]

I'd give him your budget and tell him to feed yous for a week.. See what he comes up with. X

I agree with this. I wouldn't cater to his wants if he's that fussy, sounds like he has a false perception of value foods when most of the reason that they are cheap is due to cosmetic reasons (Sainsburys packaging is great for outlining on the packaging why it's in the basics range).

Sacrificing meat for a few meals a week is very economical and saves us a heap of money that we can then spend on good quality, free range meat for the couple of nights we have it. Why would he have a problem with freezing meals?

 

[bumpy_j]

I don't really consider your OH a food snob to be honest. He's old enough to say he doesn't want to eat something. I don't really agree with the eat it or starve mentality with adults may I also say. I get why you're doing it, but if it's that much of an issue i'd just ask him to make his own meals how he likes it but give him a small part of the budget to do so. I definitely think there should be compromise.

Yeah but his wants are at the expense of a food budget; I'd agree with you if money didn't come into the equation. I think that you need to leave some of your tastes at the door if you can't afford to keep up with your preferences.

 

[Kate&Lucas]

I'd give him your budget and tell him to feed yous for a week.. See what he comes up with. X

I agree. I did this when I lived with FOB, he never complained again

 

[Tasha]

Do you have a slow cooker? The reason I ask is because the reason he can probably tell is that cheaper meat tends to be tougher (IMO) and a slow cooker can make cheaper meats tender.

 

[missk1989]

Thanks ladies. We do have a slow cooker and i tend to get some cheaper cuts to use in it. I use it all the time and it has helped reduce our food bill a bit as i can use leftovers for lunch the next day. I just need to reduce it a little more. I have spoken to my oh and he has said he doesnt mind things like jacket potato and pasta bake once a week which should help. Im also going to find a good veg market to cut down on cost of potatoes and fruit.

 

[lovelylaura]

Sausage's are good too, not too expensive for nice one's from the butcher's and quite alot you can do with them too.

 

[MrsMandy]

I know someone else mentioned Aldi already, I have to agree their meat is really good quality - its all red tractor so you know it's from the UK! Really fresh, incredible value, and i'm the wife of a butcher and the daughter of a chef, I know good quality meat!

We've recently switched to shopping at aldi and can honestly say our monthly shop bill has cut in half! And we've found most of the things taste better than the branded equivalent!
Is there any chance you could do the shopping without him knowing and just get rid of the packaging - bit sneaky but if he doesn't make any negative comments on that weeks food then own up and tell him?

 

[MrsMandy]

Or tell him that if he wants the most expensive meat then he needs to compromise in another area of his spending to help the budget?
ie: give up smoking, or give up Friday night drinks, or whatever it is for him?

 

[Bex84]

Fruit and veg i find farm shop best as it lasts longer, they often do frozen fruit salad which is good. If i buy supermarket i end up buying more as goes off quick

 

[Bex84]

We have vegetable and fruit patch in garden to, we also grow herbs which make cheaper. Strawberrys and tomatoes in hanging basket works really well when in season and black berry bush we got alot from last year.

 

[w8ing4bean]

Id make him buy the shopping! and if hes not grateful for the meals you cook he can sort himself out x

 

[jd83]

Have you tried getting meat at a local butcher? I agree with pp, the quality is usually way better than grocery stores, and often much cheaper because they will sell it in bulk at a much cheaper price per pound. I buy our meat in bulk from a butcher shop, then separate it into portions at home in freezer bags and freeze it.

 

[missk1989]

Have you tried getting meat at a local butcher? I agree with pp, the quality is usually way better than grocery stores, and often much cheaper because they will sell it in bulk at a much cheaper price per pound. I buy our meat in bulk from a butcher shop, then separate it into portions at home in freezer bags and freeze it.

Does it come with an expiry date? How long does it last? Thanks

 

[jd83]

Have you tried getting meat at a local butcher? I agree with pp, the quality is usually way better than grocery stores, and often much cheaper because they will sell it in bulk at a much cheaper price per pound. I buy our meat in bulk from a butcher shop, then separate it into portions at home in freezer bags and freeze it.

Does it come with an expiry date? How long does it last? Thanks

I'm not sure if mine comes with an expiration date on the packaging, but it would be the same shelf life as any meats you buy in a grocery store, several days in the fridge, or months in the freezer as long as packaged well. The way they package it looks different to a grocery store, but that doesn't bother me as their packaging is actually usually better for keeping things from getting freezer burn. Hamburger I buy usually is wrapped in butcher freezer paper, and can be frozen that way. Chicken I separate from their packaging and put 3-4 pieces into each freezer bag I am going to store. Steaks usually come in freezer paper or vacuum sealed plastic packaging.